MINNEAPOLIS _ More than 1,000 protesters crowded downtown St. Paul on Friday afternoon below the office of Attorney General Keith Ellison to hear several speakers calling for a review of recent police shootings and community control of the Police Department.
"Change is coming!" Shouted Marques Armstrong of the Racial Justice Network. "I feel it in my spirit. I feel it in my bones."
Meanwhile across town in Minneapolis hundreds of peaceful protesters, many carrying homemade signs, gathered in front of U.S. Bank stadium Friday afternoon to express their outrage at the death of George Floyd while in police custody on Memorial Day. Hip-hop music blared over portable speakers as the crowd milled around. Organizers provided free water and snacks occasionally leading the familiar call-and-response chant, "Say his name! George Floyd!"
An unnamed announcer said the crowd needed to celebrate the lifting of the curfew Friday night.
College students Teshawn Kelly and Chris Similhomme were part of the crowd of mostly teens and young adults outside the football stadium.
Kelly said staying home this past week was not an option.
"I don't want to see the change. I want to be part of the change happening," said Kelly, 22, who attends Minnesota State University-Mankato.
Similhomme said he was heartbroken by Floyd's killing. As to criminal charges filed against the four officers involved, "It's step one honestly. The whole system needs to change," said Similhomme, 22, who also attends Mankato.
He credits social media with first raising awareness and then fanning the ensuing national outrage.
"Without social media we wouldn't have this movement," Similhomme said.
Both men say they support the protest movement but expressed frustration at "opportunists" who used righteous protesters as a cover to loot and burn.
This is Margaret Engel's seventh protest. She and two friends have been attending events all over the Twin Cities.
"We have a voice that we need to use especially with our white privilege," said Engel, 18, of Minneapolis.
She said the speakers at the rallies have helped them become more educated about the Black Lives Matter movement.
Nicole Strom said the video of Floyd's death is strong motivation to protest.
"I think it was absolutely disgusting. No human being should be treated that way especially based on their skin color," said Strom, 18, of Minneapolis.
